Wealth will fail you. It cannot save you. Only God is trustworthy and able to save. We can gain the whole world and still lose our soul (Mark 8:36). What good is that? Seek God and His Kingdom first and He will meet your needs (Matthew 6:31-33). What an amazing deal! If we seek God first, our lives automatically get better.
Not because all our problems will melt away, not because we’ll suddenly find fame, fortune, and happiness. No, your life will be better because you will be living in the will of your Creator. You will live the life God designed you to live. This is the goal to which we should all be aspiring every day.
I love the promise of Matthew 6:31-33. We’re promised He will provide for our needs. I know there are some reading this who are in a hard season of life right now. Perhaps you’ve been ill, gotten laid off, or lost your place to live. You’re probably wondering, “Where is God’s promised provision for me?”
Whenever there feels like a discrepancy between the Word of God and our personal experience, we’re left with two choices. First, we can believe the Bible is wrong. The problem is, if a part of the Bible is wrong, then the entire book is a sham. That means Jesus isn’t who He said He was, didn’t rise from the grave, and will not return for you one day. The second (and I would argue far more plausible) choice is we are misunderstanding what Jesus is saying through the passage. It’s important to remember we tend to look to God’s Word for comfort in our temporary world, but Jesus is always teaching from the perspective of eternity.
We all want to have our needs taken care of and to live as comfortably as possible. The question is, “What typical person in the Bible lived like that?” I’ll save you the research–no one did. There are very few people in God’s Word who were extravagantly blessed with earthly riches. Most lived quiet and simple lives. They depended on God to supply what they needed, and He did. None of the great men of faith, and certainly none of the apostles (save for Judas), ever sought wealth. They sought a relationship with the Father through Jesus.
When we seek God first, we can know that He holds us in His hand. He sees our needs and weeps with us. Our Lord rejoices in our triumphs and successes. He is always working on our behalf, shaping us to look more like Himself. What we need most is more of Jesus. He is our food and the source of living water (John 4:10). He is our refuge and protection from the storm (Psalm 46:1-5).
So don’t worry about what you will eat. Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35). Don’t worry about what you will drink because Christ is the living water that will never run dry (John 7:37-38). And when you are naked and vulnerable, the Lord will clothe you in righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). When we read the Matthew 6:31-33 passage in this way, it’s not as comforting from our earthly physical point of view. But then, our physical comfort isn’t the point, is it? The point is to look more like Jesus and glorify Him. Seek God first and all these things will be added to you. It’s a promise that will not fail.